Outsold

Notebook computers outsold desktop models in U.S. stores for the first time in May as prices fell and features increased, Current Analysis Inc. said. Notebooks increased to 53 percent of personal computers purchased.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns will resign his Cabinet post to run for the U.S. Senate in Nebraska, a state GOP official said Wednesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made, said Johanns was planning to announce his bid to replace retiring Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel as early as Monday. Johanns, a former Nebraska governor, has refused to say publicly if he is interested in Hagel's seat, but his spokeswoman said Wednesday that he would decide soon.

Nissan officials breathed a little easier after piling up enough sales in December to outsell Chrysler-Plymouth and end up in fifth place in industry sales for 1993.Nissan outsold Chrysler-Plymouth by a slim 3,269-vehicle margin for the year: 637,208 to 633,939.

Notebook computers outsold desktop models in U.S. stores for the first time in May as prices fell and features increased, Current Analysis Inc. said. Notebooks increased to 53 percent of personal computers purchased.

KETCHUP MAY be the all-American condiment, but salsa is hotter, a research company said Thursday. Packaged Facts Inc. said Mexican sauces, including picante and salsa, outsold ketchup for the first time last year. U.S. sales of Mexican sauce totaled $640 million last year, compared with $600 million for ketchup, according to the research group's preliminary report.

Ford Motor Co.'s Taurus fought off a furious charge from the Honda Accord in 1996 for the title of America's best-selling car. Sales results were announced Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Thanks to hefty rebates and attractive lease deals, Taurus outsold Accord 401,049 to 382,298 to capture the title for the fifth straight year. In fact, five of the nation's top-selling vehicles in 1996 were Fords - Ranger, Escort, Explorer, F-150 and Taurus. But Honda Motor Co. officials also have something to cheer: The automaker sold a record 735,920 vehicles in the United States in 1996.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns will resign his Cabinet post to run for the U.S. Senate in Nebraska, a state GOP official said Wednesday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made, said Johanns was planning to announce his bid to replace retiring Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel as early as Monday. Johanns, a former Nebraska governor, has refused to say publicly if he is interested in Hagel's seat, but his spokeswoman said Wednesday that he would decide soon.

Like scary masks? Clown outfits? Santa suits? Don't delay, surf to Buycostumes.com. Halloween is approaching and you'll find all kinds of neat stuff for the big night. The most popular costumes are Power Ranger outfits, said Diana Krohn, a spokesperson for the site. Other popular choices are Sesame Street and Disney characters, princesses and Barbie outfits. Although Halloween is the busiest time for costumes, Christmas also is big for Santa outfits, priced from $75 to more than $1,000 (beards not included)

You also can lose weight, evidently, by going for chilling walks in cold weather. A Canadian military doctor says tests prove your body has to burn calories to warm frigid air before it can be taken into the bloodstream. Walk daily in an unbundled get-up, he says, and you'll drop the fat.Q. Can you explain why professional baseball players never dress in the locker room?A. Trick query. In their dodge it's called the clubhouse.To save money, February is the best month to buy used cars, even as October is the best month to buy bicycles.

COLD WEATHER the day of the All American Bowl could wind up costing Florida State and Indiana. For a sellout crowd of about 75,000, the schools would have realized payoffs of around $800,000 each. However, attendance fell about 20,000 short. On the morning of the game, the forecast was for temperatures in the 20s with a chance for sleet and snow. That killed game-day ticket sales. ''It probably cost us 10,000 tickets,'' a spokesman said. Neither of the two schools was able to sell many tickets to its students and alumni.

Like scary masks? Clown outfits? Santa suits? Don't delay, surf to Buycostumes.com. Halloween is approaching and you'll find all kinds of neat stuff for the big night. The most popular costumes are Power Ranger outfits, said Diana Krohn, a spokesperson for the site. Other popular choices are Sesame Street and Disney characters, princesses and Barbie outfits. Although Halloween is the busiest time for costumes, Christmas also is big for Santa outfits, priced from $75 to more than $1,000 (beards not included)

Ford Motor Co.'s Taurus fought off a furious charge from the Honda Accord in 1996 for the title of America's best-selling car. Sales results were announced Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Thanks to hefty rebates and attractive lease deals, Taurus outsold Accord 401,049 to 382,298 to capture the title for the fifth straight year. In fact, five of the nation's top-selling vehicles in 1996 were Fords - Ranger, Escort, Explorer, F-150 and Taurus. But Honda Motor Co. officials also have something to cheer: The automaker sold a record 735,920 vehicles in the United States in 1996.

Hotel minibars, long a solace for weary business travelers looking for a quiet drink after a hard day on the road, are now becoming veritable self-service bazaars where almost anything that fits inside is available - for a price.The usual array of snacks, sodas and spirits is still offered, of course, but nowadays the highly profitable guest-room refreshment centers also dispense vitamins, disposable cameras, condoms and more. And no longer the province of luxury hotels and resorts, mini-bars are increasingly showing up in midpriced hotel rooms - and even finding their way into economy lodgings.

In the dog-eat-dog world of selling stocks, bonds and other investments to a wary public, the competition is only getting greater for some women brokers - and many of them like it that way.Having long labored at a disadvantage in a business dominated by men, women stockbrokers throughout the country have worked hard to distinguish themselves to their bosses and customers.But at a number of brokerages, they have been getting significant help in recent years from the firms themselves. Advest Inc., Dain Bosworth Inc. and Raymond James & Associates, for example, all have established support and networking groups for their women employees that the women hail as an important forum for determining their own style and, in turn, markedly improving their sales.

Nissan officials breathed a little easier after piling up enough sales in December to outsell Chrysler-Plymouth and end up in fifth place in industry sales for 1993.Nissan outsold Chrysler-Plymouth by a slim 3,269-vehicle margin for the year: 637,208 to 633,939.

KETCHUP MAY be the all-American condiment, but salsa is hotter, a research company said Thursday. Packaged Facts Inc. said Mexican sauces, including picante and salsa, outsold ketchup for the first time last year. U.S. sales of Mexican sauce totaled $640 million last year, compared with $600 million for ketchup, according to the research group's preliminary report.

Author ALAN PATON, 85, best known for his searing depiction of black suffering under apartheid in his novel Cry, The Beloved Country, died Tuesday. The novel, which was Paton's first, is a compelling story of the heartbreak of South Africa's system of racial segregation. Published in 1948, it tells the story of a Zulu priest in search of his son, who is being sought by police for the murder of a white man. The novel has outsold every book in South Africa except the Bible. It has sold 15 million copies in 20 languages.

When is a Jaguar not a Jaguar? When the English carmaker decides its prototypes do not fit the company image.Thus BMW and Mercedes can take a breather while Jaguar redesigns its long-wheelbase XJ6. It seems the management at Coventry decided the proposed Jag, with 4 extra inches of rear legroom, did not look like a Jag.That means it will be a few more years before large BMW and Mercedes models will have to battle with a Jaguar contender. Other upcoming Jaguar developments that may give the German manufacturers fits include a limousine and a high-performance version of the 5.3-liter, V-12 engine.

You also can lose weight, evidently, by going for chilling walks in cold weather. A Canadian military doctor says tests prove your body has to burn calories to warm frigid air before it can be taken into the bloodstream. Walk daily in an unbundled get-up, he says, and you'll drop the fat.Q. Can you explain why professional baseball players never dress in the locker room?A. Trick query. In their dodge it's called the clubhouse.To save money, February is the best month to buy used cars, even as October is the best month to buy bicycles.

Mitsubishi has your number.If you buy one of the Japanese company's cars or trucks, expect a phone call to see how much you like your car.''We want to know what our customers think of our products and what we can do to keep them satisfied,'' said Tom Benson, Mitsubishi's vice president of service and customer management.The automaker recently hired a research marketing firm that will call Mitsubishi customers no later than 10 days after they receive their vehicle.Mitsubishi recently has added 60 dealerships and is attempting to expand to 400 nationwide for 1990.